{Healthier} Valentine's Day Red Velvet Pancakes

Boy, are you in for a treat today!

If you were looking for a special Valentine's Day breakfast, look no further!

I have got the perfect recipe for you!

They are fluffy, moist, and sweet. Did I mention they smell divine?

AND they are a little bit healthier for you than your typical red velvet pancakes.

But I promise you won't be able to tell! Pinky promise.

These taste just as decadent as any red velvet dessert you've had.

(And they're pretty too!)

They are made using whole wheat flour, almond milk, organic cane sugar, and coconut oil 

rather than all-purpose flour, cow's milk, white sugar, and butter.

But to be honest, that's about as healthy as it gets...the rest of the ingredients are, well,

typical of red velvet desserts. ;) 

 { Healthier} Red Velvet Pancakes
             (with a Cream Cheese Glaze)

Inspired by:  Cooking Classy and Mother Thyme
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: ~14 pancakes
Nutrition (per pancake, without cream cheese glaze):
Calories (77), Fat (2.1g), Carbs (12.7g), Fiber (1.9g), Sugars (3.7g), Protein (2.3g)

Ingredients:

• 1 c. whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. dutch processed cocoa powder
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 c. unsweetened vanilla almond milk (regular milk works fine too!)
• 1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
• 4 Tbsp. raw organic cane sugar
• 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar
• 1 medium egg
• 1 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2+ tsp. red food coloring

Directions:

1. Preheat electronic non-stick griddle to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk and white wine vinegar. Let sit for 2 minutes.
4. Add to the milk mixture: the cane sugar, powdered sugar, egg, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, and red food coloring. Whisk well to combine. Add more food coloring as needed to get desired coloring.
5. Add milk mixture to dry ingredients and mix until just combined. 
6. Spray griddle with cooking spray, if necessary. Scoop about 1/4 c. of batter onto hot griddle at a time for each pancake. Cook until bubbles begin to form on top of pancakes and a spatula can easily slide underneath (about 2-3 minutes). Flip pancakes and cook for about another 2-3 minutes or until the pancakes are cooked through. Try not to overcook them or they will turn out looking brownish-red.
7. Serve warm with a cream cheese glaze (see recipe below), fresh berries, and/or powdered sugar sprinkled on top.
8. Enjoy with your sweetheart or all by yourself! ;)

Notes: If you like a sweeter pancake, add more sugar to taste. I didn't find more sugar necessary with the cream cheese glaze over them, though. If you're really wanting to be healthy this Valentine's Day, try using beet juice as the red food coloring--I have never tried it, but I have seen some recipes do that!

Cream Cheese Glaze

Ingredients:

• 6 oz. reduced fat cream cheese, softened
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/8-1/4 c. unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or regular milk)
• 1-2 c. powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Using a hand mixer, mix the cream cheese, vanilla extract, and milk in a medium-sized bowl.
2. Add powered sugar to cream cheese mixture 1/4 c. at a time until desired sweetness and consistency is reached.
3. If mixture is thinner than wanted, add more powdered sugar. If it is thicker than wanted, add more milk.
4. Enjoy over pancakes, french toast, cinnamon rolls, and anything else your heart desires!

Healthy Minute Blueberry Mug Oatmeal

So, I eat oatmeal a lot.
Like every day...
Sometimes twice, or even three times a day...

I know! It's crazy, and there are some people who
really don't like oatmeal and would think that's really gross.

But trust me...with oatmeal like this, it is most definitely not gross. ;)

And you might end up eating oatmeal every day too!

Plus, oatmeal is super good for you!
It has tons of fiber and is versatile so you can add
all sorts of yummy, mix-ins:
shredded coconut
nuts
dried fruit
yogurt
fresh fruit
chocolate chips
etc, etc, etc...

Get what I mean? Super versatile!

 And, just so you know, this recipe is:
-low in saturated fat
-high in calcium
-high in fiber
-high in vitamin B6
-very high in vitamin C and
-high in vitamin E

If you already eat oatmeal a lot, this recipe is a great way to mix
things up just a little bit...by making it in a giant mug!
And adding some special ingredients (like applesauce!). ;)

Trust me, eating oatmeal in a mug is way more fun
than eating it in a bowl for some reason.
You've gotta try it.

Healthy Minute Blueberry Mug Oatmeal

Total Time: 5 minutes

Yield: 1 mug serving

Nutrition (per serving):

Calories (218), Fat (3.9g), Carbs (41.8g), Fiber (6.7g), Sugars (11.8g), Protein (5.8g)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch cinnamon
• 1/2 c. unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1/4 c. unsweetened applesauce
• dash of vanilla extract
• 1 handful blueberries (or more or less depending on how much you want!)
• Optional: sweetener of choice, to taste
• Optional toppings: shredded coconut and/or whipped cream for some creamy, sweet decadence

(I didn't add any sweetener and thought it tasted fine, but if you like sweeter oatmeal, feel free to add some!)

Instructions:

1. Combine dry ingredient in a large mug. Add wet ingredients and mix well. Stir in blueberries.
2. Cook in microwave for about 1 1/2 minutes-2 minutes depending on how thick vs. runny you like your oats. 
3. If oats are thicker than you like, add more milk; if it's too runny, cook it longer.
4. Top with some coconut flakes and/or whipped cream for some creamy, sweet decadence.  

Tip: Keep an eye on the oats so they don't overflow while they cook! 

Enjoy!

Sunday Fun and Pigtails

This past Sunday, my Grandma and Grandpa
came to visit us, which was way exciting because
they hadn't seen Kaiya for about a year!

The last time they saw her, she was only 7 months old!
It is truly amazing how time flies!

Kaiya immediately opened up to them,
especially since they walked in with an
adorable pink, stuffed monkey just for her!

If you give Kaiya a toy (or food), she's immediately your best friend.

Also, she's immediately your best friend if you have a cool phone.
Like Grandpa's. His phone is about as big as her forearm. Haha!

Side note: doesn't she look just like Joshua?! I think so.
Plus, aren't her pigtails a.dor.able?! She finally has enough hair!
They make her look like such a big girl...

I miss my baby, sometimes.

Anyways, Kaiya does enjoy her phones, but she
does also like to read books, believe it or not!

And I have the pictures to prove it...

I am in love with these pictures!
And I am oh so glad we caught these memories of Kaiya
with her great-grandparents.
They will be cherished forever. :)

My favorite!!!
Grandpa "eating" Kaiya's toes.
She loved it.
And even requested it. Haha. Silly girl.

I love my family.
There is truly something special about families coming
together to enjoy each other's company.

There's something especially special about having your daughter
play with and make memories with her great-grandparents
because that is exactly what I did with them when I was a little girl
running around in pigtails. :)

{Baked} Sweet and Sour Chicken

Happy Chinese New Year!
(I know I am like a week late, but I've heard the Chinese
celebrate their New Year for about a week, so I'm good, right? ;) )

In honor of the Chinese New Year,
I wanted to share this delicious Chinese dish with you!

It is SO good and super simple
(and better than anything you'd ever find at Panda Express. For real.)
But I don't want to take all the credit because I found
this dish via The Recipe Critic. I just had to share it! :)

I pretty much followed the recipe exactly, except I added one
or two things and tweaked the directions just a bit to fit my
preference of not touching raw chicken as much as possible.

Does touching raw chicken gross anyone else out?!
Ugh, I just do not find pleasure in it and I would probably be
vegetarian if Joshua and I didn't really like chicken.

Speaking of Joshua, he LOVES this recipe and is giddy
every time I make it, which makes me feel pretty happy.

Kaiya also loves this chicken, which is huge for any toddler.
Toddlers can be picky sometimes...about lots of things, including food.

Anyways...
here's the recipe!

I hope you find some friends to celebrate the
Chinese New Year with and make this dish!
Thanks Recipe Critic for this recipe! It is genius. :)

{Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken} Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Nutrition at a glance (per serving):
Calories (381), Fat (9.8g), Carbs (53.2g), Fiber (.4g), Sugars (29.8g), Protein (11.1g)

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thawed
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 3/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 3/4 cup organic cane sugar
• 3 Tbsp. ketchup
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• sesame seeds (pretty, but optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces and season with a bit of salt and pepper.
2. Whisk together the cornstarch and 1 tsp. garlic powder in a medium-sized bowl and the put beaten eggs in a separate medium-sized bowl.
3. Pour all the chicken pieces into the bowl with the cornstarch and mix with a spoon until all the chicken is dusted with cornstarch.
4. Pour the egg into the chicken-cornstarch mixture and stir with a spoon until all the chicken is coated with egg.
5. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat and cook the chicken mixture until it is browned. Pour chicken into a 9x13 (or similar-sized) baking dish.
6. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the sugar, ketchup, white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, garlic powder, and salt. Pour over the chicken and bake, uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes to make sure all the chicken is well-coated in sauce. 

Sprinkle sesame seeds over chicken and serve with Fried Rice. If you want to make a healthier version of this dish, just cook the salt and pepper seasoned chicken in the olive oil without the breading. :)